Dessert

Is there anyone who doesn't love dessert? Well, maybe...But for those of us who love dessert, this post is sure to have something to love, including Chocolate Mississippi Mud Pie and Birthday Baked Alaska. Enjoy!

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

This is from Linda Larsen at The Spruce Eats. She wrote, " This super easy and velvety smooth chocolate mousse pie recipe uses just nine ingredients. The crust choice is up to you. If you want to bake, go ahead and prepare your own pie crust. Only begin filling the homemade crust after it is fully cooled. Another option that doesn't require any baking is to use a store-bought graham cracker crust.

"No-bake desserts are ideal for hot summer months when you just don't want to turn on the oven. They are also very simple to make and ideal for beginning cooks. Do note that while this recipe is no-bake, the chocolate mousse pie does need about 4-5 hours to rest and chill in the refrigerator. Keep this resting time in mind if you are planning on making this for an event or have a specific time frame that the pie needs to be ready for.

"When you use cream cheese in no-bake desserts, it must be softened. To do this, let the cream cheese sit out on the counter at room temperature. Depending on the outside temperature, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. If you are in a time crunch, you can also soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Place the cheese on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on 50 percent power for one minute. Repeat at 30-second intervals just until the cream cheese is soft when pressed with a finger. You don't want it to melt or the texture of the recipe will not be correct."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Times: 10 minutes; Chill Time: 4 hours; Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/chocolate-mousse-pie-483205.

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) pie crust (or graham cracker crust, baked and cooled)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Prepare the pie crust and cool completely or use a purchased pre-made crust.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and cocoa. Beat well until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Then, in a medium bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream with 3 tablespoons powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold into the chocolate cream cheese mixture.

Pour the chocolate filling into the cooled pie shell.

Cover and chill until firm - about 4 to 5 hours.

Serve and enjoy!

Whipped Cream Topping

This recipe is delicious all on its own, but you can top it with some sweetened whipped cream for the perfect finish. To make your own whipped cream, just beat about 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until it is fully whipped. Spoon a dollop of fresh whipped cream on each piece of the pie as you serve it.

BIRTHDAY BAKED ALASKA

This recipe is from Zoë François, and adapted by Dorie Greenspan in The New York Times cooking section. For this recipe, Dorie wrote, "Baked alaska is beautiful, elegant and dramatic. It’s easy to make; it’s convenient (it must be made ahead); it’s got ice cream (enough said); it’s got meringue — which is the same as saying it’s got magic. It looks gorgeous whole and just as gorgeous sliced; it’s creamy and icy cold inside, marshmallowy all around and warm on the edges. In other words, it’s perfect. This one was made in the colors of the French flag to celebrate the 117th birthday of the French nun, Sister André. Reverse the colors for the Fourth of July — it’s what the creator of this recipe, Zoë François, did originally — or use whatever flavors of ice cream you love; the loaf pan will hold 2 quarts."

Yield: 12 servings; Time: About 1 hour, plus at least 7 hours' freezing

This recipe was featured in "Is Baked Alaska the Secret to a Long Life?", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022050-birthday-baked-alaska.

Note: For a good read, check out the article ("Is Baked Alaska…") that this recipe is from. I found it to be interesting (as I've come to expect from the Times).

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream Cake:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (cut 1/4-inch thick; not thicker)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1 pint premium or homemade blueberry ice cream

1 pint premium or homemade vanilla ice cream

1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

1 quart premium or homemade strawberry ice cream

Enough ladyfingers to cover the bottom of the cake (about 10 to 20, depending on their size)

For the Swiss Meringue:

1 cup egg whites (from about 8 large eggs)

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup kirsch (omit if using a torch)

Preparation

Make the cake: Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.

Put the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl, stir and set aside for 2 hours while you put together the rest of the cake.

Each type of ice cream has to be softened before you can use it, so, as you need it, cut it into hunks, put the pieces in a large bowl, and bash and beat them with a sturdy flexible spatula or wooden spoon until spreadable. If you’re using homemade ice cream, you can take it straight from the ice cream maker.

Soften the blueberry ice cream, then spread it evenly over the bottom of the loaf pan. Smooth the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Soften the vanilla ice cream, stir in the coconut, then smooth it over the blueberry ice cream. Level the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Drain the strawberries. Soften the strawberry ice cream, and stir the berries into it. Spread the ice cream over the vanilla layer, and smooth the top.

Gently press ladyfingers into the soft ice cream to make a base layer; don’t worry if you have some bare spots. Cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. (You can do this up to 1 week in advance of serving, if you’d like.)

At least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) before serving, make the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan that can hold the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl, place the bowl over the water — making sure it’s not touching — and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved and smooth. The mixture should be 160 degrees. Don’t rush this; it needs about 10 minutes. If necessary, attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk. Beat the meringue on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until it’s fluffy, glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Unmold the ice cream cake onto a serving platter, one that is large enough to catch the kirsch, if you’re using it, and peel away the plastic or paper. Using a spatula, cover the sides with a thick layer of meringue — creating swirls, if you’d like — and cover the top with a thinner one.

Now you have a choice: You can pipe meringue spikes over the top, layer more meringue on top, and swirl or spike it with the back of a spoon, or make spikes by hand by pulling it into points with your fingers. Continue until you’ve got a pattern you like. Freeze the cake for at least 1 hour.

To finish the cake, use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue on the top of the cake or use flaming kirsch: Put the kirsch in a small pan over low heat for about 2 minutes. Carefully light the kirsch with a long match. Slowly drizzle the flaming alcohol evenly over the entire cake, and watch it toast the meringue. It will burn off on its own.

Cut into thick slices, and serve immediately. You can keep the cake covered and frozen for a day, but it’s at its best the day it is made.

FLORIDA LIME PIE

This recipes is from Jane Nickerson, and adapted by Sam Sifton at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, "Jane Nickerson was the food editor of The New York Times from 1942 until 1957, when she moved with her family to Lakeland, Fla. There, she eventually became food editor of The Ledger, in Lakeland, then owned by The Times. Her successor in New York was Craig Claiborne, whose star eclipsed hers for, among other things, systemic reasons we wrestle with still. But Ms. Nickerson was a hugely influential force in American home cooking, introducing ingredients and recipes from chefs and home cooks to a nation that met her first on a wartime footing and grew to find itself on a prosperous one. In Florida, she embraced local ingredients and foodways, and in 1973 published 'Jane Nickerson’s Florida Cookbook,' an invaluable guide to the state’s appetizing abundance. Her lime pie is a little richer than the more well-known Key lime pie. I like that about it."

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie; Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus chilling and cooling.

This yummy pie was featured in "The Unsung Influence of a Pioneering Food Journalist", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022079-florida-lime-pie.

Note: The article that this was featured in is well worth the read, especially for anyone interested in a little history about food, recipes, cooking…the whole yummy 9-yards. (Thanks for an interesting read, Sam!)

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 1/4 cups/160 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup/115 grams very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

For the Filling:

5 large egg yolks, plus 3 large egg whites, all at room temperature

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 4 to 5 limes)

1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest, plus more for garnish

Whipped cream, for garnish

Preparation

Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Toss in the butter cubes serially, to keep them separate while coating them evenly in flour. Using a fork, cut the butter into the flour, continuing to toss them as you do, until they’re roughly the size of peas.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over the flour-and-butter mixture. Using your fork, toss to incorporate, then continue to add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together as you stir it. Using your hands, fold the dough over itself a few times, adding just enough water so that it holds together.

Form the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to a couple of days.

When you’re ready to make the pie, first prepare the pie shell: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches in diameter, then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim and crimp edges, then, using the tines of a fork, pierce the bottom crust 8 to 12 times. Line dough with a sheet of parchment paper, and spread evenly with pie weights. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are set. You want it slightly underdone. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment, and let cool completely on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat the egg yolks until they are thick, then gradually beat in the condensed milk, then the lime juice. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime zest.

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold them gently into the condensed-milk mixture. Pour into the cooled pie shell.

Place the pie back on the sheet pan and bake until the filling is just set in the center, about 20 minutes. It need not be completely firm because the filling thickens as it cools.

Cool the pie on a rack, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream and about 1 teaspoon grated lime zest.

DIRT DESSERT PUDDING BOWLS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Dessert has never been so much fun to create or enjoy than with this classic dirt dessert—now in an easy-to-hold, edible tortilla bowl! Sweetened and oven-baked Old El Paso™ Mini Soft Tortilla Bowls make sure you don't miss a single dirt crumb. Layers of chocolate pudding, crushed sandwich cookies and gummy worm candies will delight your kids (and adults!). It's perfect for birthdays, and easy enough for an anytime dessert."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Makes 12

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dirt-dessert-pudding-bowls.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 package (12 count) Old El Paso™ Mini Soft Tortilla Bowls

1 tablespoon sugar

1 package (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1/2 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

8 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 3/4 cup)

12 gummy worm candies

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. Line rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Lightly brush melted butter on all sides of tortilla bowls. Sprinkle sugar on all sides of bowls. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned on edges and firm to the touch. Bowls will crisp as they cool. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, in medium bowl, beat pudding mix and milk 2 minutes, using whisk. Fold in whipped topping. Divide pudding mixture among cooled tortilla bowls, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon crushed cookies over top of each; lightly press into pudding layer. Cut gummy worm candies in half, and insert the two ends into top of each tortilla bowl. Serve immediately. Store any remaining bowls in refrigerator.

Expert Tips

For more fun, try sprinkling green candy sprinkles or flower-shaped candy decors on tops of crushed cookies in dirt pudding.

To easily crush cookies in this dirt dessert recipe, place in resealable food-storage plastic bag, and go over with rolling pin.

Gummy worm candies can vary in size. There’s no need to cut them in half if you buy minis!

CHOCOLATE MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from Diana Rattray at The Spruce Eats. She wrote, " This Mississippi mud pie is a mouthwatering chocolate pie, and it's so easy you'll make it again and again. The amazing pie is made with a moist chocolate filling and the signature crumbly top that resembles the cracked, dry Mississippi river mud. The butter and chocolate are melted and then beaten into the egg mixture, which will take no more than 8 to 10 minutes. Fill your homemade or ready-made graham cracker or cookie crust pie and bake. That's all there is to it!

"This is perfect for a weekend snack when everyone is asking for something sweet or a chocolate dessert, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

"We've included a simple homemade graham cracker crust recipe, but we used a store-bought crust for the pie in the picture. We usually bake a homemade crust for a few minutes to firm it up a bit before filling, but there is no need to bake a ready-made crust."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 52 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/chocolate-mississippi-mud-pie-3053483.

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust (or Use a Store-Bought 9-inch Ready-Made Crust):

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

6 tablespoons butter (melted)

dash of salt

For the Filling:

1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter

2 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons white corn syrup

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Position the baking rack in the center of the oven.

For the optional homemade crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs in a bowl with the confectioners' sugar, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, and a dash of salt. Pat the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove the crust to a rack and set aside (There's no need to bake a ready-made crumb crust).

Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and unsweetened chocolate and cook, stirring frequently, until both are melted and well blended. Let the mixture cool slightly.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs. Stir in the corn syrup, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the chocolate mixture to egg and sugar mixture and stir until well blended.

Place the pie crust on a baking sheet. The baking sheet makes it much easier to move the pie to and from the oven and will catch any spills.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell and transfer the pie to the oven.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is set with a very little jiggle.

Serve the pie slightly warm or cold with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzling of chocolate syrup, or a dollop of whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy!

Tip

Store the leftovers, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

RICH RASPBERRY SWIRL BROWNIES

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs, divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam

1 2/3 cups (10 oz) Toll House Swirled Morsels, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 inch square baking pan. Combine cocoa, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Spread 1 cup of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pecans over the batter. Stir jam until smooth. Drizzle over the pecans. Beat remaining batter and egg in the same large bowl until light in color. Stir in 1 cup swirled morsels. Spread evenly over raspberry jam. Top with remaining swirled morsels. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.